Bay Leaves

(Leaves of laurel)

Name: Bay leaf

Family: Lauraceae

Botanical name: Laurus nobilis.

What is the Bay leaf?

Laurel is a little tree always containing green leaves. It has many kinds and each one has a special size. Its length ranges between 7 to 18m.

It belongs to the flowering plant genus which called “Lauraceae”. It is centered in the Mediterranean region.

Bay leaf, sweet bay, bay, Grecian laurel, true laurel, laurel tree and laurel are other names that used commonly for the laurel tree.

Bay leaf tree contains only one sex of flowers either male or female on discrete plants. The color of this flower is pale yellow- green. Its diameter reaches about 1cm. We find flowers in pairs next to one leaf. The laurel leaves are smooth with length of 6-12cm and width of 2-4 cm.

What are the chemical components of Bay leaf?

There are many kinds of oil in the laurel leaves. It includes about 1.3% of bay leaf essential oil consisting of 45% eucalyptol, other terpenes by 12%, terpinyl acetate by 8-12%, sesquiterpenes by 3-4%, methyleugenol by 3%, phellandrene, linalool, geraniol, terpineol, and other a- / B-pinenes. Also Bay leaf is rich in acid.

What are the uses of Bay leaf in food?

Laurel plant is one of the most common herbs in the kitchens of the Mediterranean region.
In Italy, they use the aromatic property of the laurel leaves to make their special Italian pasta sauces.
Due to the distinctive flavor of Bay leaves, they may be used to cook any kind of food.
To drink a unique soup you can use the ground laurel leaves. It grants a special taste for soups.

What are the bay leaf benefits?

Bulk bay leaves can be used to treat diabetes of type 2. It has a great ability to low down the levels of glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride of the blood.
Bay leaves help to cure most of the digestive disorders like heartburn and flatulence.
Bay leaves are useful to keep the body health. Due to their rich content of phytonutrients, they can fight the cardiovascular diseases which include heart attacks and strokes.
Bay Leaves can be used to treat cold, flu and infections. It has a great effect to eliminate the symptoms of these diseases.
Bay leaf’s oil can reduce the degree of most kinds of pain. It helps to calm pains of sprains, arthritis, rheumatism, strains, headaches, and migraines due to its anti-inflammatory properties.
Bay leaves (Laurus leaves) help to promote circulation of blood.
Bay leaves (Laurus leaves) can protect you from cancer due to its chemical protective components that found in caffeic acid, quercetin, Euganol and catchins which are available in rich quantities in the bay leaves.
Also the phytonutrient of parthenolide in the bay leaves (Laurus leaves) work to limit the growth of cervical cancer cells.
Bay leaves (Laurus leaves) can be used as an effective remedy before and after pregnancy to keep health of the pregnant woman and save the child from birth defects due to its rich content of folic acid.
Bay leaves (Laurus leaves) work to regulate the menstruation habits and treat the vaginal secretions.
Bay leaves can help you to fell easily in deep sleep. Drink a cup of bay leaf tea and you will feel the change.
You can use the bay leaf drink to stop the nosebleed.

The uses of Bay leaf Leaves (Laurus leaves) for the Ancient Egyptians:

Ancient Egyptians had used the Bay leaf as a symbol for victory and pride. They used it as a crown for heroes and poets.
They had squeezed the aromatic fruits of Bay leaf to get special oil known as laurel oil.
They used the bay leaves (Laurus leaves) oil for sores and wounds.
They used the bay leaves (Laurus leaves) oil as pomade for headaches.